You're Not Supposed To Feel This Bad During Pregnancy

We've come to treat these things as just part of the deal. There’s just no way around it… or is there?

What if I told you that these “normal” pregnancy symptoms aren’t a requirement of pregnancy? What if there were steps you could be taking right now, before ever trying to conceive, that would set you up for your best chance of a smooth and comfortable pregnancy?

During pregnancy, women are told how to manage their symptoms, but almost none of them are told that there are things they can do to reduce these symptoms before they ever begin. Most women don’t know that there’s anything within their power that they can do to impact the quality of their pregnancies and the ease of their postpartum recoveries. But the good news is that there is. There’s so much you can do to prepare your body, not just to get pregnant, but to experience the pregnancy of your dreams. 

There’s so much you can do to prepare your body, not just to get pregnant, but to experience the pregnancy of your dreams. 

In a world with so many heartbreaking fertility challenges, many women are advised by medical professionals on how to optimize their chances of conceiving. They're encouraged to learn how to track their cycles, time intercourse, have their hormones tested, or use assistive reproductive technologies (like intrauterine insemination or in-vitro fertilization) to ensure conception occurs. But very few are told to focus on optimizing their health before conceiving—to not only increase conception, but to also increase their likelihood of a smooth, comfortable pregnancy, a quick, easy postpartum recovery, and most importantly, a happy, healthy child. 

The Preconception Revolution

The concept of preconception health may seem like a new idea to combat the negative impacts of our modern world, but it’s actually a practice that has been used by people around the world for centuries. Many traditional cultures have been found to prioritize the most nutrient-dense foods for women and men who were preparing for pregnancy.

In his research, Weston A. Price observed that these cultures would often start this preparation season at least six months before marriage (or conception) to ensure their nutrient stores were high. These foods, often fish eggs, organ meats, and animal fats were loaded with nutrients and minerals critical for healthy eggs, sperm, and early fetal development. Our research today backs this up, with studies finding that nutrient stores directly impact both egg and sperm quality. Traditional cultures observed that the couples who ate nutrient-dense foods had the easiest time getting pregnant, the most comfortable pregnancies, the greatest infant survival rates, and the healthiest children. They engrained this season of preparation into their societies.

Yet in our modern world of highly processed food, many people are severely nutrient deficient, and pregnancy is one of the most nutrient-demanding seasons of a woman's life. A woman who enters it with depleted reserves will find her body pulling from her own bones and muscles to prioritize the baby, leaving her sick, exhausted, and drained.

A woman who enters pregnancy with depleted reserves will find her body pulling from her own bones and muscles to prioritize the baby, leaving her sick, exhausted, and drained.

Additionally, for most of human history a sedentary life simply wasn't an option. Our ancestors didn't go to the gym or run marathons, but they lifted heavy things and moved constantly, and that baseline physicality had profound effects on their health and fertility. Research shows that being physically fit improves egg and sperm quality and has measurable long-term effects on a child's health. Women who enter pregnancy out of shape are more likely to experience fatigue and excessive weight gain. Women who are already fit also bring something else to the table: the habit of doing hard things. They're accustomed to discomfort, to pushing through, and that mental and physical resilience carries directly into pregnancy, labor, and recovery.

To add to that, in our modern world, especially in the US, we're constantly fighting chronic stress. Between demanding work hours, our constant state of busyness, social calendars, and the ever present social media pressure to “do it all,” it’s no wonder most people experience stress. Stress, however, has one of the greatest impacts on our fertility. When we experience stress, studies show that our bodies produce more cortisol and adrenaline which in turn can reduce our LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and result in delayed or missed ovulation.

Stress also increases oxidative stress in our bodies, damaging our egg quality, and increases inflammation, impacting our uterine lining. Put simply, stress has a very direct impact on the quality of our eggs, our ability to get pregnant, and the likelihood of successful implantation. Stress also has the ability to deplete our reserves of nutrients necessary for creating a baby and can interfere with proper regulation of blood sugar and insulin. Left unaddressed, this can even set the stage for gestational diabetes.

What Can We Do?

The research shows very clearly that preconception health matters. It has direct implications on getting pregnant and the pregnancy experience that follows. So where do you start?

First, prioritize a whole-food, nutrient-dense diet. Cut out processed foods, refined sugar, and seed oils. Cook most of your meals at home. Eat foods known to be essential for fetal development—so much of which occurs in the early weeks of pregnancy, before you even know you're pregnant. Think eggs, liver and other organ meats, red meat, meat on the bone, wild-caught salmon, sardines, spinach, bone broth, avocado, olive oil, oysters, and berries.

Aim for at least 10,000 steps daily, find a form of cardio you can sustain and gradually build on, and add in strength training. Pregnancy is physically demanding, and birth is the most physically intense experience most women will ever have. You want to be fit going in.

Nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods, move with intention, and build a life that works with your fertility rather than against it.

Lastly, learn to slow down and rest. Say no to work and social obligations that drain you. Find something that brings you peace. Get outside in the morning, build habits that support your body—grounding, sunlight, low-toxin products—and remember that no job or social event is worth your fertility.

A comfortable, smooth, symptom-free pregnancy is possible. A fast and easy postpartum recovery is achievable. Nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods, move with intention, and build a life that works with your fertility rather than against it.

Let this be your sign to not just focus on getting pregnant, but to focus on preparing for the best pregnancy possible. You and your baby deserve it.